§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that, during the absence on holiday of the Building Act Committee of the London County Council, no arrangements are made to deal with complaints relating to the use of improper material, or of defective work carried out by builders and passed by careless district surveyors in the County of London; whether, under these circumstances, he can take any steps to ensure the carrying out of the Building Acts and give effect to the bye-laws approved by the Home Secretary on the 19th of October, 1891; whether he is aware that, owing to this freedom from control, a vast amount of improper work is executed by dishonest builders; that, in consequence, the occupiers of newly- 554 built houses suffer not only in pocket, but in health: the Local Sanitary Authorities have an excessive amount of work imposed upon them, and the ratepayers are taxed for the maintenance of a larger staff by the Local Sanitary Authorities than would be required if houses were properly constructed in the first instance; and that Local Sanitary Authorities have no power to act until newly-built houses are occupied and discovered to be imperfect and insanitary; and whether he will take steps to remedy this state of matters?
§ MR. ASQUITHI have already stated, in answer to previous questions, that the enforcement of the Building Acts is outside my jurisdiction, and I can only refer my hon. Friend to the County Council.